Phase 1: learn the big lifts

The squat, the bench press and the deadlift

Why these lifts?

In the first phase you learn the squat, the bench press and the deadlift. How long it takes you to learn these movement patterns depends on your fitness level, your experience and your aptitude, but almost anyone can learn these exercises or their modified forms in a few sessions.

The squat is the most functional pattern there is. If you could only do one exercise for the rest of your life, I would recommend doing the squat. Just think how many times in a day you have to push your own body up with your legs and your hips.

Whether you get out of bed, from the toilet or your lazy chair: you squat dozens of times a day without thinking about it.
The dissapearance of your ability to squat your own bodyweight is nothing less than a life altering disaster.

You would become completely dependent on others and require intensive daily care to get through the day.

By training the barbell squat you increase the chance that you will be able to get up from your chair unassisted until late in life. So quite important.

In addition to the large muscles in the legs, hips and buttocks, squatting also trains all the muscles around your core, shoulders and (to a lesser extent) your arms.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we train the squat from day one.
The bench press is by far the most popular exercise in the world of fitness. Since crossfit became popular, we see more and more squat racks and deadlift platforms in gyms all over the world.

The bench has long been part of the standard furniture in a sports school, and the question "how much can you bench press" is the most frequently asked question among gym bros.

But that's not the reason why we're going to practice the bench press later. The bench press is one of the best ways to increase upper body strength. Like the squat, the "push" pattern is important in everyday life and being able to push away from your own body weight greatly increases your functionality as a human being.

In addition to the muscles in the chest, we also train the triceps and shoulders. To stabilize we tighten the legs, buttocks and large back muscles. This makes the bench press more of a "full body" exercise than most people think.

The deadlift, an exercise in which you lift a "dead" weight off the ground until you stand upright with the weight in your arms straight, is probably the best way to build a strong back.

And a strong back is what you want: a strong back hurts less quickly, is less likely to be damaged by trauma and is just very handy to have in case you need to move something heavy.

Most people are anxious and hesitant when it comes to the back: they tend to shy away from their back for fear of "going through it"

"Lift with your legs, not your back" is both popular and at the same time bad advice for this reason.

If you never use your back it gets weaker, and a weak back gets injured faster than a strong back.

In addition to your upper and lower back, the deadlift trains the legs, buttocks, core and forearms for a stronger grip.

And that's why the deadlift is so important.


Convinced of the importance of learning the big lifts? Book an interview to get started

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ (3)

Where do the training sessions take place?

We will train in my own private gym. The gym is located on the ground floor of my home in the Nico Andriessenstraat 47 in Haarlem.

What does it cost to train with you?

I charge 1299,- for 12 weeks of coaching

Are you a Starting Strength Coach?

No. Even though I am familiar with and like aspects of the method, I've decided I won't pursue a SSC certification in the foreseeable future.